Motor driven revolving amusement device



J Oct. 5, 1965 B. WALKER 3,210,076

MOTOR DRIVEN REVOLVING AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Feb. 5, 1963 2 Sheets$heetl Byrd Walk er 1 N VEN TOR.

BY WW 3m Oct. 5, 1965 B. WALKER MOTOR DRIVEN REVOLVING AMUSEMENT DEVICE2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 5, 1963 IN VENTOR.

Byrd Walker BY m Fm United States Patent 3,210,076 MOTOR DRIVENREVOLVING AMUSEMENT DEVICE Byrd Walker, 1468 Rosada Way, Fort Myers,Fla. Filed Feb. 5, 1863, Ser. No. 256,305 4 Claims. (Cl. 27253.1)

This invention primarily relates to a revolving amusement devicecharacterized, generally speaking, by a pair of simulated animalstructures, hobby horses, for example, operatively mounted forreciprocal horizontal and vertical movement, upon a structurally andfunctionally novel base structure.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a novel and improvedamusement device for children.

A further object of this invention is to provide an amusement device ofthe character indicated upon which one or more children may be seatedand wherein the seating members may reciprocated in horizontal andvertical directions in a novel manner.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an amusementdevice of the character indicated which will provide a simulated rideupon a horse, airplane, or boat.

Another object of this invention is to provide novel drive means for thedevice in order to obtain the simulated movement mentioned above.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an amusement devicewhich requires a minimum number of parts and may be assembled quicklyand easily.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the invention which comprisesautomatic driving means.

FIGURE 2 is a partial sectional view taken substantially along line 22of FIGURE 1 and illustrating certain details of the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a detail sectional view taken substantially along line 33 ofFIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a partial detail sectional view taken substantially alongline 44 of FIGURE 3 and illustrating certain details of the drivemechanism.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, FIG- URES 1 to 4, arevolving amusement device generally designated by the numeral 18 isshown. The amusement device comprises a frame 12 consisting of achannelshaped deck member 14 supported upon suitable legs 16. A meshscreen 18 is strung between the legs to form a hollow enclosure beneaththe deck member 14. Suitable bracing members such as 20 are disposed atthe front of and the rear of the frame 12 to provide additional supportfor the deck member and to provide additional means for attaching themesh screen 18 to the deck member 14.

Suitable casing members 22, 24 and 26 are mounted upon the deck member14 in order to enclose the drive mechanism of the instant invention andto provide safety means so that the child using the amusement devicedoes not have access to the drive mechanism. Suitable support andbracing members 28, 30, 32, 34 and 36 are rigidly attached together toform a suitable supporting frame for the casing members 22, 24. Thecasing members 22, 24 are also disposed about arcuate frame members 38,40, 42 and 44. The casing 26 also has transverse bracing members 46adapted to be formed integral therewith. It should be noted that thepart of the deck member 14 underlying the casing members 22, 24, and 26has been cut away in order to allow certain parts of the drive mechanismto extend therethrough.

Extending transversely of portions of the deck member 14 and weldedthereto beneath the same and also attached to the depending support andbracing members 28 and 30 are two angle iron members 48 and 50. Mountedat horizontally spaced points along said angle irons 48, 50 are a firstpair of bearing blocks 52 and a second pair of bearing blocks 54.Rotatably mounted within each of the bearing blocks 52 is a first shaft56 and rotatably mounted within the bearing blocks 54 is a second shaft58. The shafts 56, 58 are adapted to be rotated simultaneously in thesame direction by means of a motor 59 disposed within the enclosureformed by the mesh screen 18 having an output shaft 60 which fixedlymounts a pair of sprockets 62 and 64. The sprocket 62 is aligned with asprocket 66 rigidly attached to the shaft 56 and the sprocket 64 isaligned with a sprocket 68 rigidly mounted upon the shaft 58. An endlesschain 70 is entrained about the sprockets 62 and 66 thus connecting theshaft 60 to the shaft 56 so that they rotate simultaneously and anendless chain 72 is entrained about the sprockets 64, 68 in order thatthe shaft 58 may rotate simultaneously with the shaft 60. It should bereadily obvious that upon rotation of the shaft 60 in a counterclockwisedirection as viewed in FIGURE 2 by suitable actuation of the motor 59 bya suitable switch, the shafts 56 and 58 will also be caused to rotate ina counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 2.

Keyed to the shafts 56, 58 beneath the casing 22 is a first pair ofcrank arms 74. Also keyed to the shafts 56, 58 beneath the casing 24 area second pair of parallel crank arms 76. The first pair of crank arms 74are disposed 180 degrees relative to the second pair of crank arms 76for the purpose which will hereinafter become apparent.

Each of the crank arms 74, 76 has a rigid extension 80 and 82 mounted atthe outer ends of said arms. Said extensions 82 rotatably receive sleevemembers 84 and said extensions 88 rotatably receive sleeve members 86.Rigidly disposed between and formed integral with the two sleeve members84 is a horizontal rod member 88 and integrally formed with and betweenthe rotatable sleeve members 86 is an integral rod member 0. The rodmembers 88 and 98 have centrally and rigidly mounted thereon verticallyextending posts 92 and 94. The post 94 extends through a slot 96 formedin the casing 22 and the vertically extending post 92 extends through alongitudinally extending slot 98 formed in the casing 24. The posts 92and 94 have mounted at their upper ends channel shaped brackets 100 and102. Supported by the bracket 100 is a simulated toy structure such as ahobbyhorse 104, and supported by the bracket 102 is a second simulatedtoy structure such as a hobbyhorse 106. The hobbyhorses each have a seat108 disposed thereon on which a child may sit and also has handle means110 which a child may grasp as well as footrests 112.

The operation of the amusement device depicted in FIGURES 1 to 4 shouldnow be readily apparent. Upon actuation of the motor 59 the output shaft60 will rotate causing the shafts 56 and 58 to rotate in the samedirection accordingly. The rotation of said shafts will cause the firstpair of crank arms 74 to revolve with the shafts 56, 58 thus moving thehorizontal rod member 90 initially horizontally. Since the horizontalrod member is journalled upon the ends of the crank arms 74 the rodmember 90 is always disposed in a horizontal plane but will bereciprocally lowered and raised as the crank arms 74 revolve with theshafts 56, 58. This movement is depicted in the phantom lines shown inFIGURE 2. It should also be obvious that the second pair of crank arms76 and horizontal rod member 88 operate in a similar manner. Of course,the vertical posts 92, 94, since they are integral with the horizontalrod members 88, 90 respectively will also be caused to reciprocatesimultaneously horizontally and vertically, thus causing the hobbyhorsesor simulated toy structures to follow the above described path ofmovement and to give the child seated upon said toy structure thefeeling of riding on a horse or the like. It should be noted that whenthe crank arms are at their extreme horizontal positions the verticalpost 94 is disposed adjacent the horizontal brace members 36, 34 but thedevice is so organized that there is no interference by these memberswith the vertical posts 92, 94 in their repicrocatory motion. Bydisposing the first pair of crank arms 74 180 degrees relative to thesecond pair of crank arms 76 it should be apparent that thereciprocation of the structures 104, 106 are 180 degrees out of phasethereby providing for more enjoyment by the children using saidamusement device.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An exercising and amusement device comprising support means embodyinga hollow base having a horizontal platform constituting a deck andcooperating first and second elongated casing members provided withlongitudinal spaced parallel slots, a pair of vertically dis posedmotion transmitting posts, said posts operating individually in theirrespective cooperable slots, toy structures fixedly mounted atop theirrespective cooperable supporting and motion transmitting posts, firstand second rotatably mounted shafts housed Within the hollow portion ofsaid base, motor means also mounted within the hollow portion of saidbase operatively connected with and functioning to rotate said first andsecond shafts simultaneously in the same direction, crank armsoperatively connected at corresponding ends to adjacent cooperatingouter ends of the respectively cooperable first and second shafts, therebeing first and second pairs of said crank arms spaced parallel andhaving lower ends keyed and operatively connected to correspondingopposite end portions of the aforementioned first and second shafts, andfirst and second horizontally disposed rod members having pivotaloperating connection at forward and rearward ends to the respective endsof the crank arms of said first and second pairs, the lower end portionsof the aforementioned posts being fixedly joined to intermediateportions of the respectively cooperable rod members.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and wherein said first and secondpairs of parallel crank arms are mounted 180 degrees apart about thecircumference of the aforementioned first and second shafts.

3. An exercising and amusement device comprising, in combination,stationary support means embodying a hollow base having bearing means,forward and rearward crankshafts having median portions journaled forrotation in said bearing means, said median journaled portions beingdisposed in spaced apart parallelism and in a common horizontal plane,an inverted T-shaped member having a head portion Whose ends arepivotally connected with coordinated corresponding crank portions ofsaid shafts, and a stem portion, the latter providing an upstandingpost, and a hobby horse having a median part of its body portion poisedon and fixedly joined to an upper end of said post.

4. The structure according to claim 3 and in combination, said hollowbase embodying a platform constituting a deck situated adjacent to saidtoy to assist the rider of the toy to safely and conveniently mount anddismount said toy, and motor means housed in the hollow portion of saidbase and operatively connected with and simultaneously driving saidcrankshafts.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,803,397 5/31Rizza 272-17 X 2,637,554 5/53 Terreson 27253.l 2,919,132 12/59 Canady272-531 X RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

3. AN EXERCISING AND AMUSEMENT DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION,STATIONARY SUPPORT MEANS EMBODYING A HOLLOW BASE HAVING BEARING MEANS,FORWARD AND REARWARD CRANKSHAFTS HAVING MEDIAN PORTIONS JOURNALED FORROTATION IN SAID BEARING MEANS, SAID MEDIAN JOURNALED PORTIONS BEINGDISPOSED IN SPACED APART PARALLELISM AND IN A COMMON HORIZONTAL PLANE,AN INVERTED T-SHAPED MEMBER HAVING A HEAD PORTION WHOSE ENDS AREPIVOTALLY CONNECTED WITH COORDINATED CORRESPONDING CRANK PORTIONS OFSAID SHAFTS, AND A STEM PORTION, THE LATTER PROVIDING AN UPSTANDINGPOST, AND A HOBBY HORSE HAVING A MEDIAN PART OF ITS BODY POSIED ON ANDFIXEDLY JOINED TO AN UPPER END OF SAID POST.